What makes an Olympian? Is it something you’re born to do, or are Olympians the product of a system that identifies and nurtures athletes toward success? To find out more about the unique characteristics of Olympic athletes, here’s what it takes to be podium-worthy in the sports-to-watch in Rio.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

With only two athletes covering the court, beach volleyball players need good all-round skills. So while the indoor game can rely on specialists, success outdoors relies on the ability to move well, hit well and defend well. This need for a complete game is the reason beach players tend to be older, as it takes time to develop all the technical aspects of the game.

Unlike host Brazil, whose beach players grow up playing the game, in Canada most of our players come out of the university system, after which they start to pick up the skills necessary for the beach game. Experience is a big element, as there are no coaches on the sidelines, so it takes a while to transition from indoor to the beach.

It also takes a while to get used to playing on the sand and in the sun.

“Beach players need to run, dive and jump in the sun and temperatures that can reach 35-38 Celsius,” Drakich said. “The matches are shorter (than indoors), but way more exhausting.”

But it’s not just the physical that plays a role in beach volleyball, players need to be mentally tough as well.

“Two of the most important things in beach volleyball are the size of the heart and the strength of the mind,” Drakich said.

RUGBY SEVENS

Rugby players need power, agility and speed, but the traditional shorter, stockier rugby build is more suitable for the traditional 14-a-side game where the field is more crowded and the game requires more contact. By contrast, the sevens game is wide open, which lends itself to a swifter athlete who still has the power to make solid tackles. So while there’s no ideal body type, the players need to be able to adapt to a fast game that features seven-minute quarters with the players performing repeated 60-90 second sprints.

Being fleet-footed is a good attribute, Rugby Canada’s Ken Goodland said.

Most of Canada’s team started playing rugby in high school, but the need for speed means athletes can come from other sports, too. Track and basketball athletes transition well to the game. Megan Lukan made the Olympic team after a career playing NCAA basketball.

“We might get an athlete with blistering speed but (who) is low on rugby skill, so we up-skill them,” Goodland said.

Height is also important, as it’s key to winning kickoffs and catching kicks. But what a sevens player most needs is an athleticism that lends itself to developing multiple skills and abilities, which is why Goodland says early specialization isn’t important.

“I’m a huge believer in kids playing multiple sports,” he said.

DECATHLON

Competing in 10 sports (100 metre sprint, long jump, discus, shot put, 400 metre run, 100 metre hurdles, pole vault, high jump, javelin, 1500 metre run) in two days is arguably one of the most gruelling competitions of the Games.

“(Decathletes) are the first at the track and the last to leave,” said James Holder, decathlon coach for Athletics Canada with an international stable of decathletes.

The classic body type of decathletes used to be that of a pro quarterback — 6’2” and strong and athletic — but the sport has changed with lots of diversity in terms of the size and shape of its competitors. Good runners are light and quick, and good throwers big and strong, but it’s an overall ability to run, jump and throw that makes a good decathlete.

“The evolution of the event has opened up the doors for people of all shapes and sizes to try it and they are finding success in all different ways,” Holder said.

As for what type of skills coaches look for in up-and-coming athletes, Holder says speed and jumping ability are good places to start. That and the ability to handle the high volume of training it takes to become proficient in 10 events.

Because of the large number of skills that need developing, decathletes hit their prime in their mid- to late 20s. Canada’s medal hopeful is Damian Warner, 26, who is known for his speed, though his throwing ability has improved greatly in recent years.

The other hurdle to success is that decathlon is an expensive sport. You need lots of gear and lots of different coaches to teach the different skill sets.

“It takes a community to build a decathlete,” Holder said.

POLE VAULT

You have to wonder who aspires to throw themselves over a six-metre high bar after running full speed down a runway carrying a three-plus metre pole and planting it in a box one metre long, 60 cm wide at the front and 40 cm at the back

“Someone who likes thrills and is very athletic,” said Dennis Mitchell, coach of Canada’s medal hopeful Shawn Barber.

There’s a long learning curve to pole vaulting, with most athletes getting their first try in high school, though the earlier into the sport, the better. Being tall is an asset as it allows you to hold the pole higher, which is where Barber excels. Speed, power and strength help, too. But in the end, the person who has the best speed on takeoff usually wins.

Of course, there’s nothing easy about placing a long pole in a small box while running down a 40 metre runway at a speed of about 10 metres per second.

“The stakes are high,” Miller said. “ They swing up the pole upside down and start extending and then the technique kicks in.”

Barber was a diver in high school, which helps in the technical aspect of the sport. So does training on a trampoline. Other skills to work on are speed and flexibility. Pole vaulters train on gymnastics equipment, the high bar and rings. They also climb ropes — upside down.

“The top vaulters need to be top all round athletes,” Miller said.

TRACK CYCLING

“Athletes can get good at cycling pretty quickly,” said Craig Griffin, coach of the women’s track cycling team who are favoured to medal in Rio. “Skill isn’t the defining element.”

What does make a good track cyclist?

“We look at the engine,” Griffin said.

Track cyclists need to get up to speed, 60 km/h, and sustain it, similar to a good one mile specialist on the running track.

An athlete’s height or build isn’t important, rather it’s maximum aerobic power and ability to be aerodynamic on the bike that defines an Olympian.

Since the skills of track cycling don’t take that long to develop, it’s considered a late development sport with plenty of athletes coming into cycling late from other disciplines. Georgia Simmerling, a member of our Canadian Track Cycling team in Rio, joined the national team six months ago, three years after lacing up a pair of speed skates for the first time. A former Olympian in alpine skiing, her strength and power won her a place on the team.

That strength is further honed in the gym, but track cyclists do most of their training on a bike where they work on tuning up their engine.

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Five Olympic sports to watch: A fitness expert on what it takes to be podium-worthy in Rio 2016

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